A Radio Jockey’s job is a thrilling one. He gets to entertain and interact with a very large audience. Although not as popular as television, radio has its own set of followers. The success of a show depends entirely on how talented the radio jockey is. He also gets to meet and interview a wide range of celebrities on radio. A radio jockey also gets to compile his own playlist of songs for his audience. Let’s see how you can become a radio jockey or RJ.

Requirements for Becoming a Radio Jockey

Radio jockeying does not require you to have very high qualifications. To become a successful radio jockey, you need to have strong linguistic skills. You should have the ability to grab attention when you speak. Having the right attitude is compulsory. You need to be observant and be aware of your surroundings. Radio jockeys become successful when they have a different point of view, when it comes to certain subjects.

Of course, being appropriate and sensitive to your audience is also necessary. It is important that you be mild in your opinions and statements so that you do not offend anybody. Other than this, a radio jockey needs to have a sense of humour, creativity, and ample knowledge of the subjects he speaks about.

As an RJ, you should be able to think on your feet. Unlike television and movies, there are no retakes and what you speak is instantly transmitted to radios around the city. A radio jockey also needs to be well-versed in the music he plays.

What a Radio Jockey Does

A radio jockey represents not only himself, but his radio station as well. In some cases, he is also the voice of the city. Most radio jockeys are most popular in their towns or cities, and this is achieved by identifying with the local populace. Therefore, a radio jockey has to keep his target audience in mind at all times. This is especially true while choosing subjects, celebrities and music for his show.

An RJ must also be skilled in conversing with members of his audience. People often call the radio station for contests and general discussions and the RJ must make the conversation appealing by taking it in different directions and making humorous commentary. His anchoring skills make or break a certain show. How to Become a Radio Jockey

If you love talking, have a flair for communicating and are passionate about music, then radio jockeying may be just the career for you.

As radio jockeying is now a high-paying job in India, many institutes offer courses that guide you towards a successful career. Many radio stations offer internship to aspiring radio jockeys and they also recruit from reputed institutes. Many professionals in the field also hold voice and radio jockeying workshops where you can learn about the nuances of RJing.

Prospects of Radio Jockeying

Radio jockeying has really picked up steam as a prospective career in recent years. There is a lot of money to make in the radio business and success depends on the radio jockeys who work for that station. This is because the content that different stations use may be the same, but the way it is delivered makes all the difference. A radiojockey who has a popular show is paid well as more advertisers are interested in shows that have many listeners.

Many radio stations are active in India today and there are always ample options for radio jockeys to choose from. Some radio jockeys also moonlight as voice-over artists fortelevision and movies. Many companies hire radio jockeys to do voice-overs for their advertisements. Many RJs also have alternate careers as event anchors and comperes or emcees.

Radio jockeying has definitely caught up as a big career in India. So definitely give it a try if you have been considering it as a career option.

What would you like to see in the resulting media coverage? What two or three key messages do you want to relay? If you go into an interview and just answer questions without a thought for what you want the audience to know, you yield control of the interview to the journalist. Be prepared and know in advance what your goals are for the interview.

2. Ask the question you want to answer.

Don’t wait for the reporter to ask the question you want to answer. She might not ask it. Instead, segue into the topic you want to discuss. For example:

“What really matters is ______.”

“The most important issue is ______.”

“The more interesting question is ______.”

3. Avoid technical answers.

When you talk above people’s heads, you drive them away. Answer as simply as possible, and without jargon.

4. Stick to what the reporter asks and what you want to say.

There’s no need to volunteer additional information. This goes back to planning what your goals are for the interview. You should know what you’d like to communicate from the start, and stick to that information as much as possible. More is not better; answer questions briefly. When you give long-winded answers, you give the journalist the power to choose which parts of your answer to use and omit.

5. If you don’t know the answer, just say so.

There’s nothing wrong with saying you don’t know, that there hasn’t been decision yet or that you aren’t sure of the answer and will report back

6. Don’t say “no comment.”

There are very few exceptions to this rule. When you say “no comment,” you almost always look like you’re hiding something. Anticipate difficult questions, and plan an answer that won’t hurt you. It’s your PR team’s job to prep for such questions, with your input, of course.

7. Don’t repeat a negative question.

There’s no reason to needlessly hurt yourself by repeating a negative question. Simply answer it briefly and bridge to what you want to say.

8. Watch for “gotcha questions.”

Gotcha questions are loaded questions that paint you negatively no matter how you answer. The trick is to answer as briefly as possible, and create a bridge from the negative question to the message you want to convey.

For example, say a reporter asks, “Have you stopped beating your wife?” Answer with, “I never started.”Think about it: If you answer, “I didn’t beat my wife,” the headline could easily be, “X denies beating his wife.” This is also an example of why you don’t want to repeat something negative.

9. Have facts to back up your points.

If you can provide facts and cite the sources, you’ll sound much more credible.

10. Don’t ask to approve the story before it’s published.

This will make you look unprofessional. Journalists will sometimes fact-check information with you, so you can volunteer to be available for any further questions or fact-checks if the journalist wishes.

The world has witnessed a phenomenal and unprecedented explosion in communication technology and media.Mass Communication is not limited to journalism alone. To a great extent mass media is a modern reality which covers all aspects of human life. Moreover, a great change can be observed in the concept of people working in mass media. Careers in Mass Communication are not only high paying but also bring in a great deal of job satisfaction and expression of creativity.

Step-by-Step

Not long ago, people with good communication skills and a degree in literature were considered fit for journalism and other areas of mass communication. However, with technology playing greater role in our lives, all professions related to mass communication now require skilled professionals who work fast and efficiently send across the message to a whole range of audience. Even though with the proliferation of blogs, it is commonly claimed that ‘anyone’ can become a journalist, a closer inspection of reality proves that only those with professional training make the grade.

Start Early

Unlike engineering or medical streams there are no preparation strategies or set formulae for making a career in mass communication. A graduate degree in the field is good to start with but a post graduate degree or diploma is almost essential to be considered for responsible positions in any organisation.

Is it the Right Career for Me?

Answering this question requires a critical self-evaluation. You need to have creativity—a way with words and excellent communication skills as you will be required to explain and inform, about the most complex of issues, in the simplest of terms—to a large number of people. Moreover, you require great deal of patience, because in this field, it takes a lot of hard work, and quite some time, to make it to the top.

What would it Cost Me?

Courses in mass communication are expensive as tuition fees and charges and expenses for doing projects, internships, and field work are quite high. Most of the institutes offering under graduate courses charge anywhere from Rs 30,000 to Rs 2, 00,000 per year.

Job Prospects

A professional course in mass communication opens doors for a career in films & TV, publishing, public relations, journalism, editing, direction, filmmaking, scriptwriting,production, etc. In nutshell, Mass Communication widens up the horizon of career options for a person. Depending upon personal interest and inclination a mass communication professional can choose a job. Attractive and high paying jobs as journalist, actor, director, editor, screenwriter, RJ, producer, VJ are available to the talented and trained individuals.

Pay Packet

Starting salary for a mass communication professional could be between Rs 12,000 and 25,000. After 5 Years of work experience a professional can expect higher salary in the range of Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000 per month.

Different Roles,Different Names

Following are the various job profiles offered to graduates in mass communication:

Fashion Photographer

Film Director

TV Correspondent

Producer

Radio Jockey/ RJ

Screenwriter

Sound Engineer

Sound Mixer and Sound Recordist

Special Correspondent

Video Jockey

Art Director

Editor

Event manager

Public Relations Officer

Tips for Getting Hired

Besides pursuing a course from a mass communication institute, a candidate is required to possess certain skills or interests which help him get a job. Candidates who are interested to get into news media should have keen interest and sound knowledge of news and current affairs. Global perspective on various issues helps candidates in obtaining the position of reporter or journalist.

Similarly, those who are interested in electronic media are required to have practical knowledge on video editing. Most of the mass media training institutes offer internship programs with news channels or entertainment channels which help candidates get a job after completion of the course.

When you start a business, it’s essential to promote your current news to the press in order to generate sales. After all, a feature story in a targeted media venue can significantly boost brand awareness and foot or web traffic to your business. More importantly, this kind of coverage provides third-party credibility that you simply cannot buy with paid advertising. The good news is that you can increase your chances of getting some free publicity by creating a user-friendly media kit for your small business.

What is a Media Kit?

A media kit is a packet of information about your business that is created for use by the press. Its purpose is to provide media members with the necessary data to report on your business.

Why Do You Need a Media Kit?

If reporters are on a tight deadline to finish a story, they are going to look for the fastest and easiest way to get the information they need. If your competitor has a media kit with this data readily available and you don’t, guess who’s going to get the free publicity?

Media kits are also great tools for communicating important points about your company to potential new customers and partners. The information is easily accessible in one central location (especially if it is online), and you can still print copies of your media kit for conferences, tradeshows and targeted media members as needed. But by posting the information on your website, you can save a significant amount of time and money in printing and shipping fees.

What Does a Media Kit Contain?

Most media kits include the following information:

Business Facts

Write a brief synopsis of what your company does and why you are unique. Include your mission statement, goals and any other pertinent information about your business. You can write this in the form of “Frequently Asked Questions” or use succinct paragraphs to describe the important facts you want to convey.

History

This page contains all of the data about the history of your business. You’ll want to include photos, the date you founded your business and why you started it. To interest readers, also add your thoughts and personal stories on how your business evolved from idea to startup business to present day. If you don’t have a lot to share, you may want to include this information on your “Business Facts” page.

Products/Services

It is very important to list all of your products and services and the benefits of each in your media kit. An outsider should be able to read this page in just a few minutes and know exactly what you sell and why people buy it. Depending on the data, consider using brief paragraphs with headers or a list with bullet-points.

Bios

On this page, provide biographies of the key leaders at your organization and their photos. Write short paragraphs that are interesting and easy-to-read. And rather than using a pre-written resume, add pertinent anecdotes, quotes and other unique criteria that establish credibility for each individual listed.

Include information about birthplace, hometown, education, business experience, awards, and any other vital facts you want media members to know. Also, add some personal tidbits, such as marital status, family information and hobbies enjoyed outside of work so readers can relate to the executives.

Current News

Entice the media, and let readers know that your business is up-to-date by including current news, industry trends and exciting events in your media kit. List all of your press releases, published press clippings, video samples, business testimonials from customers, case studies, speaking engagements, articles, and other activities.

Also include company brochures, logos, photos, identity standards, and potential story ideas to help media members get necessary data quickly. If you are in the process of obtaining press clippings, just include whatever information you have now, and make an effort to add to this section on a regular basis.

I believe that one of the best ways to connect with people and build quality relationships is through making conversation. Although most people can hold a conversation, only a few are smooth and charismatic when they talk.

Working as a communication coach, I have explored and tested many techniques for improving conversation skills. I have discovered 7 simple and effective ways to be a smooth talker. Here they are:

1. Talk slowly

Typically, good talkers don’t rush into a conversation. They take their time when they reflect on something and when they say it out loud. They act as if they have all the time in the world. This makes them come off as centered and collected. Model this way of talking and you will create the same effect.

2. Hold more eye contact

Most people keep eye contact about 2/3 of the time or less when they talk. In my experience, it’s a very good idea to hold eye contact just a bit more than that. This will convey confidence and interest in interacting with them.

3. Notice the details

People with good conversation skills tend to notice the kind of things that the average person doesn’t notice, and to bring such details into the conversation. They may notice and point out an interesting ring on the other person’s hand, a certain foreign accent, or a certain voice tone they use when saying a name. Thus, such individuals impress people in a very elegant manner.

4. Give unique compliments

Anybody can pay a generic compliment to try and get another person’s appreciation. Charismatic people on the other hand are able to really pay attention to others, to look beyond the facade and thus, pay unique compliments. Do the same and besides wooing others, you may even help them find out things about themselves they didn’t know.

5. Express your emotions

It’s very rare to meet a person who is comfortable talking about their emotions and how certain things make them feel, especially with strangers. Yet this way of talking is a real virtue. Don’t just present the facts, you’re not a newspaper. Express your feelings about those facts. Keep in mind that it is at the emotional level that people connect best.

6. Offer interesting insights

Anybody can talk about the news or express basic opinions. But good talkers can frequently tell you things you didn’t know and that you’ll find fascinating. This is why it’s good to have knowledge into fields such as psychology or sociology, and bring such knowledge out at the right moments in a conversation.

7. Use the best words

The ability to talk smoothly has a lot to do with choosing the precise words to convey your precise feelings or thoughts. Constantly develop your vocabulary and practice communicating as accurately as possible. It will help you develop a way with words and allow you to express yourself more easily.

***

Conversational skills don’t improve just like that. It takes time, practice and the ability to learn at a rapid rate from your own experiences. On top of this, they have virtually no limit to how far they can be developed.

Considering your relationships and social life constitute one of the fundamental components of your life, I believe it is worth embarking on a long-term journey of mastering your interpersonal abilities. It’s a journey you won’t regret.

Acting as a career involves more than just performing in movies. Working actors perform in live theater productions, at theme parks, in commercials and on television shows. As actors start their careers, many work multiple jobs, such as working as extras in films or TV, to support themselves financially. While many actors live in large metropolitan areas, such as Los Angeles or New York, production companies all over the U.S. hire actors on a regular basis.

The more experience an actor has, the more desirable he or she is to a director. While a degree is not typically required, bachelor’s degree programs are available, particularly for those interested in acting on stage. The following table contains the main qualifications and requirements needed to become an actor or actress listed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Step 1: Take Classes

Although no formal training is strictly required to become an actor or actress, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that most professionals in the industry participated in college drama courses or acting conservatories. College degree programs allow students to expand their skills in various acting fields, including impromptu acting, sketch comedy, voiceover work and musical theater, while building their portfolios. An undergraduate degree program in drama or theatre includes coursework such as voice and diction, stagecraft, acting theory and stage management.

Success Tip:

Participate in college productions. Acting in performances while in college in an excellent way to bolster a resume and gain experience on stage or in front of a camera. It is important to keep copies of the recordings of these performances to show potential employers when auditioning for a role.

Step 2: Gain Professional Experience

Actors need whatever experience they can get in order to improve their skills and gain more recognition. Many actors start by participating in community or college theatrical productions. Others may choose to perform publicly at ‘open mic’ nights. Performing in other public settings, such as nightclubs, dinner theaters or theme parks, can also help beginners get real world experience and help them become comfortable in front of an audience.

Success Tip:

Hire a coach. Many actors choose to enlist the help of an acting coach, who is more experienced than they are. This coach helps them prepare for roles and find auditions, while teaching them tricks of the trade.

Step 3: Acquire Additional Skills

Because endless roles are available, the more an actor knows how to do, the more auditions he or she is able to go on. For example, learning foreign accents or impressions may appeal to a certain market that was otherwise unattainable. Some roles may require that actors know how to dance, sing or both. Taking classes and practicing different skills can help actors prepare to play a variety of different characters.

Step 4: Find an Agent

While it is not mandatory, having an agent can make working as an actor easier. Agents complete most of the business-related tasks involved with acting, such as mailing out resumes, scheduling audition appointments and negotiating contracts. Having an agent completing these administrative tasks provides actors with more time to practice their skills. The majority of agents also have connections with casting directors, which means they can more easily connect clients with regular acting roles.

Actors often have to shop around for agents. Before actors submit resumes and audition tapes to agents, they may want to research each agent. For example, it is important to know the number of clients an agent works with and how much personal time an agent spends with each client.

If you think that finding the most effective ways to make good money in the music industry is “wrong”, then do not bother reading this article.

Now if you are still reading-good. In this article, I am going to talk about different ways that you can effectively achieve great success while working in the music industry. This includes being able to make a stable living from your music career and(if you Act on the given advice) making much more money than the average musician.

Most musicians seek to “make it” in the music industry but have a high degree of uncertainty when it comes to the idea of making A Lot of money and supporting themselves through their music career. This causes them to push away their ultimate desire of a career in music in order to work in a “stable” job outside of the musical industry (that they usually hate). Unfortunately, these musicians end up working full time in their day jobs and experience great frustration as they realize that they are wasting their musical potential. This is something I see All The Time as a music career mentor.

In truth, achieving great financial success while working on your music career is not as difficult as you might think. In addition, you donâ€™t need to be a big time rock star to make good money in the music business. However, in order to become financially free in your music career, you will need to take a very different approach than the one that is taken by most musicians. You will need to approach your music career as both a “musical artist” and as a businessman (or woman). You must run your career as a business, where your primary goal is to add as much value as possible to your fans, other bands, music company officials, and other people in the business of music.

The reason why so many musicians do not make much money with music is because they are not aware that music is a business (and needs to be treated as such). These people fail because they are not mentally ready to achieve great things in the music industry. Find out how ready you are to reach success in the music industry by taking this short assessment on how to pursue a career in music. Important: Finish this assessment first, before reading the rest of this article.

Besides not being prepared to achieve success in the business side of music, many musicians fail to make a decent income in their careers because they make the following mistakes:

Not Taking The Time To Set Up Various Music Related Sources Of Income

It is common for musicians to treat their music career in the same manner that they have treated any other job that they have had. They expect a single paycheck at the end of an established period of time from doing a “single” activity. Unfortunately, this approach will not help you to achieve financial success in the music business. In order to make a good living in your music career, you must stop thinking from the mindset of obtaining a single sum of money as your main goal. Instead, you must work to build many different sources of musical income that go into your bank account on an ongoing, residual basis. By taking this approach, it becomes much easier to make a lot of money from music. In fact, musicians who use this method will save themselves time as well (because they do not have to continually work to get a paycheck). This enables them to have more freedom to pursue things such as writing music, touring and performing, or recording in the studio. In the end, it is important to have income coming in from both your active efforts and your past efforts that you already took the time to set up (that continue to make you money). Additionally, by approaching your music career in this manner, you will feel much more stable since you will not be dependent on any single source of income to pay your bills.

Not Working To Continually Add Value To Others In The Music Business

There is one very important concept to understand if you are going to pursue a career in music. Whether you are a touring musician, music teacher, producer, session player, songwriter, or are involved in any other occupation, the people who will pay you money to work with you will need to have a reason to pick you from the thousands of other musicians following the same path. At first, this may seem pretty hopeless, but in reality the amount of competition you face is not a major factor. Why is this? Fact is, most musicians are too busy focusing on their musical skills while not focusing on building as much “value” around themselves as possible. Your musical skills (no matter how great they may be) is only one element of “value”. The other elements (that most musicians do not focus on) include your work ethic, temperament, business savvy and reliability just to name a few. To make yourself the absolute best choice to work together with a music company, you must work to build up a massive amount of value so that any of the musicians competing against you will pale in comparison. This means that when a music company considers working with you, it must be obvious that there is no other choice.

Right now you may be thinking that this is a simple concept to understand (and you are right). However, in spite of this, the overwhelming majority of musicians do not take action to do this in their music careers on a daily basis. To see if you are taking the necessary amount of action in this area of your music career, fill out this quick survey about how to build value in the music industry. As long as you have the ability to continually add high amounts of value for anyone in the music business, you will have great potential to make a lot of money. It is for this reason that I train all of the musicians in my music industry mentoring program to develop a mindset for adding value within everything they do.

Not Taking The Time To Identify Your Market

Once you have become familiar with the value you have to give to the music industry, you will you need to find and identify the people who you will give value to. For example, imagine that you were about to release your newest record. Who are the people (fans) that would be waiting to buy your new music? Do you have a way to quickly and easily contact these people? If not, what action are you taking right now to build a list of your potential customers? Now imagine that you were a session musician. Do you have an organized list of all your potential customers/business partners such as musicians, recording studios, or bands? What are you going to do today to get in touch with these people and show them how you can help them with your skills and talents?

One of the most common mistakes made by musicians is that they spend the time to create an album, increase their musical skills, or work in another area of the music industry, but when it comes time to receive the payoff for their hard work, they have great difficulty making any money. This happens because they have not taken the time to build a database of customers who are ready and willing to pay for the value that the musician is offering. Since this is such a common issue, I have made this one of my main areas of focus while mentoring the musicians in my Music Careers Mentoring Program.

Additionally, musicians will make the mistake of assuming that once they are signed with a music company that the company will take all the responsibility to further their career. This is not true. The fact is, YOU are the one who will need to take initiative in your music career in order to promote yourself and make a better living. Work on building your own list of customers and fans so that you are the one in control of this aspect of your career. This can be used as a great tool to improve negotiations with future music business partners to make more money for you (and for everyone else involved).

Not Knowing Your Goals And Not Having A Plan To Reach Them

To earn more money in your music career, you must set specific goals and have a strategy in place for reaching them. Donâ€™t simply have vague ideas of wanting to be a professional musician. Instead, you must focus on what you want out of music. To get started, answer the questions below:

What do you want your annual music career income to be?

What are the various sources of income that will allow you to reach your goal in question #1?

What action must you take in order to create these sources of income? (learn more about how to set up multiple streams of income in this music career planning article.)

What is every possible way that you can add high levels of value to each interaction you have in the music business?

What is every possible way that you can eliminate risk for other people in the music business?

Once you have answered each of the questions above, you must make every step in your music career go toward the specific goals you have determined for yourself.

The majority of musicians struggle to identify exactly “what” they must do to get their desired results in the music industry. Additionally, once they know “what” to do, they struggle to understand “how” to use this knowledge effectively. If you are in this same situation, the best action that you can take is to find a great mentor who can train you to achieve success in your music career and make a lot of money in the music industry. By doing this, you will avoid wasting your time and effort on the same frustrating mistakes that other musicians make.

Confusing “Being Popular” With “Earning A Lot Of Money In The Music Industry”

You donâ€™t need to be touring in an internationally known rock band in order to make a great living in your music career. The reality is that even some famous bands include band members who are working regular jobs to make a living. It is important to understand this point so that you can place priorities on achieving your goals in the most effective way possible. Obviously there are musicians who have achieved both popularity and great financial stability, however you should prioritize your efforts to reach your goals in the most effective way possible.

Ending Thoughts

There are many musicians who view the music business as “deceptive” or “wrong” because it involves making money from oneâ€™s passion rather than giving it away for free. These people likely spend their time focusing on songwriting skills or improving their abilities on their instrument. Although these are important things to work on, it is also critical to focus on improving your “music business skills” if you want to earn enough money from music without needing a day job just to get by.

Even though there is no way to predict (in a single article) the specific path you must take to make a great living in the music industry, if you avoid the mistakes mentioned here you will be much more likely to achieve financial freedom in your music career. The good news is that when you do start making a stable living as a professional musician, you will be able to spend more time on that which drew you to the music industry in the first place: making music.

If you havenâ€™t yet taken the music career surveys mentioned in this article about how to pursue a career in music and how to build value in the music industry I encourage you to do so now